Very Sharp pictures, Solid construction, 8MP takes great pics without filling your hard drive so fast. Still good for fairly big enlargements. Great value if you can find a used one with lower shutter count.

Cons:

Small lcd screen, lack of features that the new cameras have, higher ISO settings not as good as newer cameras,

This is a great camera, It takes very sharp images with good quality lens. (even the newer 18-55 IS kit lens makes very nice pics with this camera).

This camera would make a great starter camera for someone that wants to explore the DSLR world without spending huge money (lots of great deals on used 20D's right now) get this camera cheap and put some money into nice glass for it. It will amaze you with the pictures it can produce.

That said, this camera is starting to show its age mostly in the features dept and low light ( high ISO settings ) compared to newer cameras. So If you have the money to blow then by all means get the latest and greatest, but if you are on a budget you will be better off with a cheaper body, and put more of the money into the lens, but do your research just because a lens is expensive does not mean its the sharpest there is

Dec 4, 2009

terminatorOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Jan 28, 2005Location: United StatesPosts: 281

Review Date: May 16, 2009

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,100.00
| Rating: 9

Pros:

very good image quality up to ISO 800. solid build, 5 fps, easy to switch AF point with multi-controller, fast and flexible operations

Cons:

shutter button tends to fail and stuck (shutter is fine), small LCD screen, the far left and right AF points are less precise, not FF.

I've owned this camera since 2005 - a very nice upgrade from 300D. It is my primary (actually only) DSLR camera in the past four years. Overall, it is a great camera. I love almost every aspect of the camera except the following issues:

First, the 1.8" LCD is so small according to today's standard, and the AF is not as good as 40D/50D. Secondly, the shutter button stuck, and I have to switch to AE lock button for AF. It seems to be a common issue for x0D. Thirdly, the far left and right AF points are not precise, I would say they are almost useless. Lastly, it is not a FF.

May 16, 2009

KrosavchegOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Apr 9, 2006Location: JapanPosts: 2779

Review Date: Apr 4, 2009

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $200.00
| Rating: 10

Pros:

Robust body, size, shutter sound, shutter speed, color reproduction.

Cons:

None so far. Ideally, I would love the charger to have 2 lights for "charging" and "ready" modes instead of just one orange light, but that is essentially a nitpicking.
Perhaps worth to mention that image preview scrolling using joystick is a bit slow...

This is essentially a review based on upgrading from 350D, and might be technically inadequate compared to that of a proffessional photographer. Each person's needs and expectations are relative and should be considered at the time of purchase.

I was lucky to find 20D at a shop in Nakano, Tokyo for 22.000yen, which would roughly equal 200 USD or 160GBP (subject to ever so changing currency rates). Shutter actuation count unknown and box, strap and cables are not included. Not much of a loss, as I have got those for my 350D and it would be silly to pay extra for something I don't need.
And ofcourse, this camera is worth every penny.

The body is obviously heavier than Rebel/Kiss/XXX series and fits great in my hands. Shutter noise is really a music to my ear - it is a little heavier of a "bolt action" type snap rather than plasticky click of a 350D.

Option access is great. Power switch might be a bit confusing in the beginning. ISO, AF modes and Color Temperature
are much easier to set. The wheel at the back is a pleasure to use. On the other hand one must now "Unlearn what one have learned" and try to get on with the joystick - a bit sluggish at scrolling the zoomed in images in preview mode.

I absolutely love the color. Compared to 350D the reproduction and detail are great and photos require very little post-processing. So far I have not seen any issues mentioned here in regard to Red. Focusing is equally great and viewfinder allbeit small for 1D/5D series users is larger than XXXD series bodies, allowing for much more accurate manual focusing.
Something I appreciate very much due to the increased use of MF lenses.

20D also does very well in the lightwise unbalanced environment.
Very rarely I end up with overblown shadows/highlights - which I constantly suffered from on the 350D.

High ISO performace is equally superior to 350D. I have taken series of night shots in Ginza which showed fairly low to acceptable noise levels. Only minimal noise reduction in Photoshop will suffice.

In regard to wide angles on 1.6x sensor, perhaps it is worth to mention that at one point I was considering selling off my 16-35mm F2.8L USM because of its abysmal performance on 350D. However, even with a same 1.6x crop factor sensor, 20D manages to get much more out of this wide angle lens even wide open!

Overall is a great camera. At the moment I don't regret for a moment that I acted on impulse and got it. As for the recommendation, chose it based on what you need and not what others think you do. Maybe for you it is worth to upgrade to 30, 40 or 50D which have recently swamped the 2nd hand market. But considering that this is a 1DS/5D transition camera to me, it feels unnecessary to pay extra $100 or £100 for a spot metering and a slightly larger display.

Apr 4, 2009

halseOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Oct 29, 2005Location: United StatesPosts: 183

Review Date: Dec 3, 2008

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10

Pros:

quite versatile, excellent image quality, this is the camera I learned what I know about photography on

Cons:

the color red

have had for about 3.5 years and the prior cam was a G3, for the first year or so only used with a 50 1.4 as this seemed to be a good way to focus on the composition, light, subjects and all that rather than on the pixels... in good light this takes high quality pics and the 8 MP is not that much of a limitation for candids and portraits and shots of flowers, the 20D does very well with the longer lenses (70-200 4 IS, 85 1.8, 200 2.8) and not quite as well with the wider ones (17-40, 35 1.4) probably because these are used mostly for landscape type pics which are somewhat limited by the 8 MP..... the color red is this camera's weakness, the Adobe ACR profiles have helped a lot but bright red flowers, some red dresses etc just don't turn out well without some (or a lot of) tweaking in PS.. otherwise this camera has been great, no problems whatsoever (that weren't operator induced), took it in to get cleaned a couple of times and it only needed a few puffs of air... have a 5D2 on order so the 20D will be going into semi-retirement as a backup soon and so it seemed time to give it a strong review

Small Screen (made worse in sunlight), Loud Shutter Noise, Occasional Err99, Flimsy with BG-E2, No Anti-Dust (not that Canon was using that tech back then).

I bought a second one of these for a bargain on eBay used - $500 with a BG-E2 and it had only done 3000 actuations.

I simply adore this camera - you cannot go wrong if you buy one of these second hand so long as you ensure it has low shutter actuations. I always thought the shutter was rated at 50 000 but the folks at Canon told me it was 100 000 so I'm a bit unsure.

It's loud shutter noise takes some time getting used to - especially if you do a lot of work indoors at quieter events. A lot of my work in theatres and I've tried various sound-muffling techniques to no avail. So I had to wait until climatic scenes (when the actors shout, etc.) to shoot which was a major hindrance. Now I either stay far away from the audience or bring a different camera along.

I felt the menus were a bit sluggish at times but when I got into the habit of using the Jump button my concerns were no more.

The battery life (with or without a battery grip) on this camera is simply superb. I'm not sure how but I've gone shoots on end without changing batteries - I used a Rebel XTi for a month and had to charge for every shoot.

A lot of my work also involves fast-moving subjects so the 5fps is very welcomed. It's hard to fathom the 5D and other (much more expensive) models can only squeeze out 3fps. So if you need a budgeted sports camera this is probably ideal (1.6x crop + fast fps).

As someone who came to digital photography from film, I trust my instincts and rarely review images. However, on the occasions I have (usually social snaps to check no-one is blinking), I have found the size and brightness of the screen to be troublesome.

Perhaps my main grief with this camera - and I realise this might is probably trivial to most of you - is that it seems to attract much more dust than any other digital camera I have ever used. I tend to change lenses a few times a day and though I take due care - the camera still manages to gobble up dust that manifest themselves into awful dust spots. I have used the 350D, 10D and 30D at some point - all lack Anti-Dust technology but none attract half as much dust as my 20D. It's quite bizarre.

All in all, this camera is really great and I think is one of Canon's underrated little gems.
Also, in reading this review I should let you know I am a cynic and therefore have probably spoken disproportionately about this camera's faults.
Peace.

Jun 16, 2008

Marcel VanEerdOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Mar 2, 2007Location: CanadaPosts: 1861

Review Date: Jun 16, 2008

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $950.00
| Rating: 9

Pros:

Feels solid, performs well

Cons:

One or two "99 errors" that cleared with batt removal

My first and only DSLR. Can't decide whether to buy another one as second cam, or get a 1D.

General photo-fun improved hugely when I installed a KatzEye so I can use my M42's.

Jun 16, 2008

Rebel GuyOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Feb 11, 2008Location: United StatesPosts: 656

Review Date: Jun 16, 2008

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $485.00
| Rating: 9

Pros:

Good action performer, feels good in hand, sturdy, vg IQ

Cons:

Nothing so far especially coming from an XTi.

Just picked up a used 20D on Friday to substitute my XTi for many reasons.

Got familiar with it's different settings and how and where to set everything. Body is slightly larger and heavier and of course the non-plastic construction. I do have to say I am very inpressed with this next level body and it's performance and IQ.

I used it Saturday morning at my MMA class for belt testing and my 70-200 f/4 shot wide open, with action and some static moments and the images came out much better and had more keepers than with my XTi...and most importantly no blurry images!!! The 20D seems to perform better with action shots than the XTi does and with better IQ IMO.

The shutter is most different than the XTi...not sure if it's louder or not as it just has a more mechanical, profound...clack. I like it though.

Overall, I am most pleased with my decision to buy this several year old great performer 20D!

This is a great camera to jump into photography with. It can be boughten for a cheap price now, and it is great to learn with. If you aren't the type that must have the newest best toy, and you are new to photography, buy this camera. Its a great starter ...

Feb 13, 2008

gobenhoOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Mar 18, 2006Location: United StatesPosts: 0

Review Date: Nov 16, 2007

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $550.00
| Rating: 9

Pros:

Tough build, battery life is excellent, thumb wheel is appreciated, larger buffer than my old camera, 5fps, 1/8000s max shutter speed, fast startup time, great if you have a kid!

Cons:

Viewfinder isn't large enough for manual focusing,

I sprung for the 20D because the used market is saturated with them right now; this has driven down prices considerably. Prior to this I was using the original Digital Rebel and was really feeling its limitations. I'm going to give a slightly different take on the 20D from a parent's perspective.

Here's my parental reasons for getting this body:

Frame Rate: 5fps (vs. 2.5 from the 300d) will help ensure that you get your kid in the frame as he/she plays.

Battery life: This thing shoots forever, I remember constantly having to eyeball the battery meter on my 300D, it's simply not the case with the 20D. Spend all day at Disneyland with your kid, you won't run out of batteries.

Thumb Wheel: A bit quicker to change settings vs. the cross-type buttons on the Rebel.

Buffer: Nothing like watching great moments go by while your buffer is clearing. With the 20D I miss less shots of my kid because it gives me 6 raw shots vs. 4 with the 300D.

Startup Time: I know some of you can relate to this one. If you ever had an original Rebel, the startup time was 3 seconds! I had to constantly half-press the shutter to keep the camera from turning off automatically. I swear that my kid would wait for my camera to auto-shut off before she did anything interesting. The 20D's startup time is almost instantaneous so I don't have to half-press the shutter like I have a nervous tic.

Shutter Speed: Okay, this isn't really a kid-related reason. But I really appreciate having the 1/8000s max shutter speed of the 20D vs. 1/4000s; this is especially true if you're shooting in bright locations (like Lake Mojave).

Nov 16, 2007

Rotheus LathamOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Apr 24, 2007Location: United StatesPosts: 48

Review Date: Nov 7, 2007

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $650.00
| Rating: 8

Pros:

Speed, High Iso, Price (used), Good Image Quality

Cons:

None so far...

I picked mine up used off ebay for $650 a year old with only around 12k clicks. For a beginner coming from a point and shood Nikon Coolpix 5000, this is a great camera. Has all the features I need, is fast (5fps) takes good images, and didn't cost an arm and a leg. No complaints.

When taking a step into DSLR, I did a lot of research and compared different systems. After finally deciding on Canon, I evaluated Xt/Xti/20D. 30D was way too expensive at that time, and Xt/Xti did not feel right in my hands. I looked around and found a good refurb deal on Adorama and got me a 20D. I have been shutter happy since then.

The performance at High ISO 800-1600 is quite good and requires very little PP in terms of noise reduction. The continuous shooting mode works like a charm. The build quality is kind of reassuring and does not feel like fragile plastic.

My only minor problem is its loud shutter noise. Though its not a biggie, sometimes I wish it would be a little silent. Like I said, it is not a biggie.

Bottom line is it is a great camera for the price and then some.

Oct 16, 2007

svx94Offline[ X ]

Registered: Mar 25, 2005Location: CanadaPosts: 657

Review Date: Oct 14, 2007

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,100.00
| Rating: 9

Pros:

Good ISO noise control, very solid build, reliable machine

Cons:

Noisy shutter, AE accuracy. UI can't match the Nilon's

I have been using this camera for years now. About years ago, I bought a 5D as upgrade, and after careful comparason, I decided to keep the 20D, that speaks it all.

The strongest side of this body is the tough build and good spead. It is very reliable for all these years. Battery last long enough for a whole day shooting. The ISO noise level is visiblely better than the D70 I compared.

It is not a perfect camera in any sense, and the new 40D fixed most of the issues. But if you look back to its time, this is really a legendary camera.

Oct 14, 2007

DmitriMOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: May 18, 2005Location: CanadaPosts: 2157

Review Date: Sep 12, 2007

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,400.00
| Rating: 9

Pros:

quality,price,weight,

Cons:

AF,noise

I got this camera a few weeks after it came out. It was a replacement to my 10D,which ended up being a backup camera.
20D is an excellent all around camera. I don't understand people who question it. It's far easier to blame your camera then yourself...
I've used it for sports,fashion,travel,etc. It's relatively lightweight compared to the 1D series 'bricks'.
AF focusing however is not the best I've seen. It was improved with the release of a few new successors. Still,it was a great camera for the money.
Right now a used 20D can be purchased for less than $700,making it an awesome budget camera. If you don't need a large LCD screen,picture styles,auto iso or similar small improvements,then I would definitely suggest this camera to anyone.